For a third consecutive year, the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers appear fated to meet in the NBA Finals. Some people may argue that’s a bad thing, but Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue isn’t one of them.
Lue thinks there is demand for another Cavs-Warriors Final — just as he thinks people wanted to see the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers square off in the 1980s.
“Is it a problem? I don’t think so,” Lue said Wednesday, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “I think a lot of people wanted to see Boston and the Lakers back in the day. I think nowadays, a lot of people want to see Golden State-Cavs. And it’s not a problem. Right now, it’s two of the teams playing some of the best basketball right now.
“So two of the teams that have been in back-to-back Finals — so, why not? Why not want to see it again? I don’t see why it would be a problem. I think last year had some of the best ratings, I think, in NBA history. I think now with them adding [Kevin] Durant and the way they’re playing, the way we’re playing, it can be even higher.”
The NBA has a long history of repeated NBA Finals matchups, moreso than many other sports. The Lakers and Celtics met three times in the 1980s. The Lakers and Detroit Pistons contested back-to-back Finals in 1988 and 1989. The Chicago Bulls beat the Utah Jazz twice in 1997 and 1998. The Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs met in back-to-back years in 2013 and 2014. Lue has long been willing to pump up the excitement for these matchups, and this is no different — and while people do like variety, few would ultimately complain too vocally about a grudge match.
